


Mental

by DannyIsMyBoi



Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-22
Updated: 2019-01-22
Packaged: 2019-10-14 16:23:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17511935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DannyIsMyBoi/pseuds/DannyIsMyBoi
Summary: He was finally alone. He didn't want to be alone. He had been alone for too long. He didn't want to be alone. (one-shot) REALLY DEPRESSING READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!





	Mental

"Yes….. yes…. He's here. Come quickly."

Mr. Lancer glanced toward his class, wide eyes staring back at him. Their mouths zipped shut into straight lines.

"Please… come…."

Suddenly, the door burst open and a pair of men rushed inside. They wore dark blue outfits with black utility belts. The gold badge on their chests gleamed under the lights of the classroom. "Which one?" a man said looking towards Lancer.

Lancer bit his lip in fear and pointed to the raven-haired boy standing in the back of the classroom. The teen was bruised and bloodied, although no one understood as to why. His clothes ripped and tattered, barely hanging onto his thin figure. His ice blue orbs were wide with fear as he began to back away from the men.

"N-no I can explain! Please listen…" he begged as he held up his hands in front of him for protection.

"You're coming with us." Said one of the men in a demanding tone. The teen was stuck in the corner with nowhere to run to and nowhere to hide. The men gripped his arms tightly as they led him out of the classroom, the teen struggling all the while. He writhed within their arms, but his effort was without purpose as they dragged him through the door.

"Stop this! He didn't do anything!" the goth girl shouted over the commotion. Next to her, an African American stood up, grabbing his belongings and rushing after his best friend.

Another man entered the room and blocked the two from following their completion to the trio. The two pushed against the man, but with no use.

"Do not resist police force. Now please, return to your seats and resume class. Thanks for notifying us." the man said as he nodded towards Mr. Lancer.

"C-come back Ms. Manson and Mr. Foley. They will take better care of h-him." He stuttered as he encouraged his students to return to their desks. The two sulkily walked back to their seats and sat down with a thud, their heads hanging down in anger. Struggles and shouts could be heard through the door.

"He had a perfectly good explanation for this all. You should have listened." Ms. Manson said gloomily from the back of the room. The other students began whispering among themselves and Lancer quickly quieted them. He didn't reply to her statement as he returned to teaching his class.

That was the last day anyone saw Daniel Fenton for the next ten years.

Indeed, they should have listened.

* * *

Jazz stared at her calendar, circling the date today. Today was going to be a good day, or at least she thought it would be.

She skipped down the stairs and entered the kitchen, ready to make breakfast. Today was Sunday, meaning pancake day. She proceeded to make pancakes for 3. While flipping the pancakes she heard footsteps thumping down the stairs.

"Good morning honey!" she replied as he walked into the kitchen. He wore a red bathrobe and matching slippers; his blonde hair tussled from last nights sleep. He opened a cupboard and grabbed a mug, pouring in some coffee she had just brewed.

"Good morning Jazz. Did you sleep well last night?" he said as he sipped his coffee and sided up right next to her, placing his head on her shoulder.

"Of course, Dash," she said as she planted a kiss on his cheek. "Do you know what today is?" she went back to flipping the pancakes.

"Huh? What's today?"

"He's finally coming back home."

"Oh."

"I'm so excited! It's been so long…" she began to stack the pancakes onto 3 plates.

"Y-yeah." He stuttered.

"What's wrong?" she turned towards Dash to find him staring at his mug in confusion.

"Its just that – you think he's alright?" he looked up at his wife, violet eyes shining in the sunlight. Jazz was taken aback. She stood there for a minute, pondering as to what her husband had really meant.

"I- I hope so." She stammered as she turned towards the fridge, grabbing the maple syrup. She then washed her hands as Dash began to eat his pancakes. The silence overwhelmed the two, until they heard footsteps from above.

A little boy, around the age of 4, rushed into the kitchen and grabbed onto his mother's leg. "Good morning my baby!" she said to her son as she picked him up and placed him on her hip. "Did you sleep well?"

He giggled and nodded in reply, a wide smile stretching across his face. She placed him on the chair next to Dash and poured the syrup onto her sons' pancakes. Dash placed his hand on their son's head and ran his fingers through the soft tufts of blonde hair. Jazz smiled as she fed her son bits of his breakfast while simultaneously eating her own.

The small family conversed about the day ahead of them and Jazz brought up their previous topic once more.

"You ready to see your uncle, little baby?" she said as she washed the dishes.

"Yeah!" the little boy said as he raised his hands up in the air.

"Come on Daniel, lets get you dressed for the day." Dash said as he picked up their son and carried him back upstairs. Jazz's eyes lingered on her family as they walked up the stairs, chuckling all the way.

Jazz hoped that she was ready to see him too.

* * *

"Hello! Do you have a reservation?"

"Um- yes. For Daniel Fenton?" The woman in the blue jumpsuit said to the receptionist. She stood next to her husband, who wore a matching jumpsuit in an orange color. Both had streaks of gray hair and hints of small wrinkles across their faces. The receptionist scrolled through her computer and paused for a second, eyes scanning the screen.

"Ah, yes. Come with me." She said as she stood up and walked around the desk. The old couple followed the woman through the building. The yellow walls were filled with scars and dust. The floor looked as if it hadn't been cleaned in decades. They passed by rooms and gurneys, cleaner than the building itself. The building itself seemed to have a yellow smell **(props if you know what narrative I'm referring to here)**. The couple walked with anticipation, awaiting to see their son once again. The woman stopped at a door and brought out her keys from behind. She unlocked it and gestured for the pair to enter.

Inside the room sat a man in a doctor's outfit sitting at the front of a desk. Across from him sat a man with jagged black hair, his head leaned down and bangs covering any facial features. The couple walked into the room and stopped just before the desk.

The latter man looked up, his dull blue orbs searching the two elders. His eyes widened as he fumbled to stand up. Maddie rushed towards her son, embracing him in a long hug. Tears pricked her eyes as she stood there, arms wrapped around her baby boy. Jack joined in a second later, squeezing his family.

Maddie let go after a few minutes and looked her son in the eye. She ran her hand along the side of his face, encoding his new appearance into her memory. Her fingers bristled against the small facial hairs along his jawline. He had grown over the years, almost the same height as Jack. His facial features matured, although he was abnormally skinny. Maddie could feel the tears run down her cheeks as she stared at her son's blank expression. The three took a seat and the doctor began to greet them.

"Thank you for coming," He began as he shook the parent's hands. "I'm Dr. Stephen. We've been keeping your son in good company and we believe he's ready to come home. As I stated in the email, his condition has improved substantially, although he's not much of a talker." Maddie glanced over to Danny, his head hung low and lips pierced into a straight line. "Are you ready to say goodbye Daniel?"

Silence erupted as he didn't move a muscle. The doctor took it as a yes and led the three out of the room. They paused at the desk to pick up a folder of information and a bag of Danny's belongings. They said goodbye to the gracious doctor and left the institute, heading for the black Nissan in the parking lot.

Maddie glanced at her son; he looked so empty as he carried his backpack halfway across his shoulder. She couldn't understand what he was thinking about, his face blocking any emotion. They finally reached the car, sitting inside and heading to Fenton Works.

"So Dannyboy, how are you?" Jack's booming voice enveloped the car. Maddie looked in the rearview mirror and saw Danny staring at his feet without replying a word. "Come on son, gimme something."

"It's been so long since we've seen you. You've grown you know." Maddie said in a sympathetic tone. He hadn't moved an inch. It was mysterious, this grown man who was supposedly their son. The enigma of her own creation. He looked nothing like the Danny she remembered. Her bubbly, clumsy baby boy. "Danny, if you want to talk about anything, we're here for you."

He continued to glare at the car floor. The doctor warned them of his silence. But experiencing it was entirely different than hearing about it. Maddie didn't have the patience to wait for her son to speak. The rest of the car ride was quiet until they reached the huge building. Danny exited the car and headed straight for the door, following his parents as they led him through the home.

"Welcome home son!" Jack bellowed as he patted Danny roughly on the back. Danny stood stock still throughout the salutation. The two sat down on the living room couch while Maddie went to the kitchen to grab some snacks.

Just then, the bell rang.

* * *

Jazz had called them over, she thought they would like to see him too.

As she finished the phone call, she placed her phone in her purse and continued to talk to her son. Dash was at the wheel as they drove towards Jazz's childhood home. Daniel was always fond of his grandparents and loved to hear stories about their ghost hunting adventures. Jazz always cringed when they brought up the disappearance of Phantom due to their 'terrifying front' and 'deadly weapons'.

They parked in the driveway right behand the black SUV. Jazz unlocked her son from his car seat and carried him into the house on her hip. They rang the doorbell and Daniel immediately jumped into his grandma's arms in glee.

"Grammy!" he exclaimed as Jazz handed him over to her mother with a smile across her face. Maddie accepted him with joy as she cradled him in her arms, smothering him with kisses. Jazz and Dash greeted her parents and entered the living room.

There sat a man staring right back at her, unrecognizable for a moment. Her eyes widened in realization and she ran up to him, embracing him in a tight hug, although he didn't return the action. The sting of potential tears clouded her eyes as she outstretched her arms to get a good look at her brother. Oh how he'd grown!

He was taller than her, about Dash's height. It was weird to say that this was the 16-year-old brother she had last seen. He looked so… different. He stared back at her, eyes unmoving. So much ad happened in his absence, so much. She didn't know where to start.

"Danny?" she said softly as she wiped the tears from her eyes, stepping back and sitting down right next to him on the sofa. He jerked his head towards his shoes as though he were studying them.

"Jazz-" her mother started "he doesn't talk much. Well… he hasn't said a word since we brought him back."

"Oh." Was all she could reply. Dash came and sat beside her, his hands fidgeting in his lap. She was a psychologist, maybe she could get Danny to speak. She tried to take the easy way first and approach him with caution. "Danny, you don't need to talk now, but it would be helpful when you're ready…" she placed her hand on his back for comfort.

He flinched at the touch, but his eyes continued to stay glazed over and motionless. The blank expression slackened across his face made it difficult for Jazz to psychoanalyze him.

The family sat in silence for the next two minutes, everyone's eyes on Danny, except Maddie who was preoccupied with Jazz's son. She set him down and he unsteadily walked towards his uncle.

"Unky!" he shouted as he placed his hands in Danny's lap. Danny looked up, furrowing his brows in confusion.

"Danny, meet Daniel. He's my son…" Jazz said as she smiled towards the two. "And Dash is my husband… I know that may seem weird to you, but he's really sweet once you get to know him…" Jazz tried to keep a comforting tone, but she felt the tears would shed again.

"Dannyboy! Please say something. At least so we know you're not mute or anything!" her father exclaimed. Jazz sent a 'let me do the talking' glare towards him and he immediately zipped his mouth shut. Danny probably just needed some time to get into the swing of things.

"How about we take you upstairs Danny? Give you sometime to rest and adjust." Jazz suggested standing up. He stood up in reply as a cue of affirmation. Jazz picked up Daniel and placed him in Dash's lap while she gestured for Danny to follow. The siblings walked up the stairs, towards his old room. It was the same as it had been 10 years ago, only cleaner. NASA posters lined the walls and plastic glow-in-the-dark stars filled the ceiling above. His model spacecrafts sat on his desk, as though it was his most prized possession. The room was filled with Febreze air freshener, evidence that her mother had recently cleaned his room.

Jazz closed the door; she wanted to talk to him in private. He sat down on his bed and returned to peering at his shoes. She plopped down next to him. He was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans and a black hoodie. Dark bags rounded his eyes and hints of facial hair peppered from his chin. He looked as if he hadn't eaten in decades, or a decade.

"Danny…" she didn't know where to start. This was going to be such a one-sided conversation. "We- we're sorry. We wanted to visit you, but they wouldn't let us. I would have visited you everyday if I could, you know. Its- it was so hard without you. But we couldn't wait, we had to keep moving. We, meaning everyone, tried to get you out of there. We persisted for 5 years…" she paused. This was one of the hardest things she ever had to explain. "They- they wouldn't accept anything we said."

She looked over at him. It was so hard to talk to him as if he was only a wall. "But – I have to ask. Why didn't you escape? Reveal yourself?" she was in tears now. The salty droplets falling onto her newly ironed skirt. She quickly moved her wrist and wiped away the tears.

"So I could look even more _crazy_? Locked in the mental hospital longer than _10 years_? T-taken by the Guys in White?" a low voice replied to her. It didn't even sound like the Danny she remembered. He was a total stranger now, the one thing she had feared immensely. She sobbed as she wrapped her arms around him, head nudged in his shoulder crook.

They sat there in silence, a sister crying while embracing her brother tightly. He felt so _cold_. It was as though he was literal ice. However, she didn't want to leave him, not anymore.

But she felt as if she had already left him from the very start.

They both heard two knocks originating from the door. Jazz wiped her eyes and stood up. "Come in." she called out.

The door swung open to reveal her son asleep in the arms of Dash. "Hey Danny," he said softly. He was swaying side to side, cradling the sleeping child within his burly arms. "I know we didn't have the best adolescence, but I want things to change. I hope you can forgive my past actions…" Dash said sympathetically as he walked into the room, standing next to Jazz.

Danny turned his head towards his hands in his lap, mouth stiff with no reply. Dash looked over to Jazz for help, but she just shook her head and ushered them out of the room. Before closing the door, she looked over to her brother. "Danny, if you ever need to talk, call me. Mom and Dad have my number… welcome back little brother." She softly shut the door and walked in pursuit of her husband downstairs.

Jazz conversed with her parents for few more minutes before heading home, but not before taking a glance at the door upstairs covered in astronomical stickers.

* * *

She knocked on the door, excited but also nervous for the encounter ahead.

Sam and Tucker entered in without warning, eyes going wide at the adult before them. His jet-black hair almost covered his eyes, but it was wilder than she had imagined. He looked so depressed with his hood hanging over his head.

"DANNY!" she ran up to him and jumped on him, both falling to the bed. She wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders and squeezed him tight. Tucker crawled onto the bed and enveloped the other two into a hug. The trio sat up after a few minutes.

"We're sorry man. We wish we could have visited you. Jazz filled us in on everything. Heard you don't talk much…" Tucker said filling up the silence. Danny didn't speak and kept glaring at his feet. Sam searched for Tuckers hand with her fingers and grasped it firmly once she found it.

"Hey, its ok. You can speak to us…" Sam suggested but to no avail. "Well, we protested lots Danny. But the dumb institute said you needed help. We really tried... But we kept on moving, we thought that was what you would've wanted…" Sam said glancing over at Tucker who shrugged in response.

"We'll fill you in man. I guess you already know that Jazz married Dash and they have a kid named after you. Um… me and Sam both went to Amity's college and hehe, fell in love." He said as he took off his iconic red beret.

"Danny look!" Sam exclaimed and shoved her hand in front of his face. A shiny silver ring complete with a black diamond sat upon her ring finger. "We're married! It was only 2 months ago too! We wanted to wait to have the ceremony once you came back, but our parents were getting antsy, so we had to have it early."

Tucker grinned widely as Sam planted a kiss on his cheek. "Man, we really missed you… What else can we tell you? Oh, I'm a tech guy of my own company and Sam's a veterinarian. I guess our previous adventures came in handy for our futures."

"Hey Danny," Sam said as she lifted his chin with her hand, concern glinting in her violet eyes. He looked over to her, his eyes hidden behind his bangs. She brought his hood down and swiped his bangs to the side. His previously bright blue orbs were a dull diamond color. Dark bags sat under his eyes. Faint scars crisscrossed across his cheeks. "We wanted you to know first, but…

-we're pregnant!"

His eyes widened in response as Sam chuckled in joy. Tucker wrapped his right arm around her shoulder and squeezed. Danny returned his head back to its suspended position. Sam furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "What's wrong Danny?"

"That's great for you guys." He replied in a deep voice. Sam and Tucker both looked at each other in bewilderment. So, the man who had been their best friend could talk. It didn't sound like the 16-year-old Danny they remembered. He had matured so much…

The couple began to explain other aspects of their life that Danny had missed out on. After an hour of seeing their best friend without him replying once, they decided to leave him to rest and check on him tomorrow.

They shut the door behind them softly, leaving the disoriented man alone.

* * *

He was finally alone.

He didn't want to be alone.

He had been alone for 10 years.

He didn't want to be alone.

Danny brought his hands to his hair, tugging the long strands with annoyance. He was home, finally home. But did that mean he felt better?

Yes, he didn't talk much. There was no need for others to know what he experienced _there_. His hands fell down to his face, rubbing furiously, as if he could wash away all the memories.

It hadn't been a fun experience _there_. He – he - _stop thinking about it Fenton…_

Danny stood up and searched around his room. It was the same as he had left it. He walked over to the bathroom, peeling of his clothes as he went. He needed a hot shower. How he longed to feel the warmth against his skin.

He dialed the shower handle towards the red bar. Instantly the burning sensation enveloped his body. He had gotten so used to the cold feeling of himself, but it was nice to feel the heat against his ice-like skin. He stood there for a few moments, lost in the feeling he hadn't felt forever. He began to apply soap over his body, effectively cleaning of the figurative grime he felt shrouding his being.

He took the towel draped across shower curtain and wiped himself dry. His hair dripped over his eyes as he stared at the foggy mirror. He wiped at it, leaving a circle for his head to be seen. He gawked at himself longer than he should have. Who was this person staring back at him…

He wrapped the towel around his lower half and walked back into his room. He opened his closet door and searched through the clothing. Everything was new, tailored to fit him as of now. He grabbed a red hoodie, boxers, and a pair of black jeans. Quickly putting them onto his body he went back to his bed.

He felt cleaner. He felt neater. But he also felt emptier.

Was he really needed? Everyone had moved on, creating their own lives without him. Sure he could find a job and continue his life, but was there a purpose? _There is no purpose._

_No._

_Come on, they don't need you._

_No._

_They need ME._

_No._

His head ached with an oncoming migraine as he sat down at his desk. He placed his elbows on his table and his hands wrapped around his skull. The pain was overcoming him, but he focused on pushing it down. It was no use. The agony bursted within his head as he let out a low groan.

Danny lowered his head onto the desk and sat in silence, closing his eyes and listening to inaudible sounds. He could feel the pull of the portal originating from downstairs, as though it was begging him to return. He couldn't. He couldn't give in. But….

He finally felt the pain slowly dissipate into the back of his mind. He opened his desk drawer and pulled out a notebook, writing something he had waited too long to do.

When he finished, he read it over. _What is this shit?_ He crumpled it into a ball and threw it furiously on the desk. He went back into the bathroom but got caught by the mirror.

Danny stared back at the sky-blue orbs that were his eyes. A hint of green flashed behind them. He couldn't now, could he? If he just gave in a little…

_No._

_Listen to yourself Fenton._ He gripped the edge of the sink, knuckles turning white with strength. He could feel his mind starting to swirl as he titled a little to the left. _Get a grip Fenton. Freedom won't hurt you._ But he couldn't. Goosebumps rose across his skin as if a million spiders had crawled over his body. His nerves pulsed an eerie green underneath his skin. The dizziness overtook him, and he felt himself slipping into what he feared the most.

* * *

Jazz returned to Dash after tucking Daniel into bed. He had preschool tomorrow, so she wanted him to get much rest as possible. She quickly kissed her husband on the cheek before heading out to check on Danny once more. Her parents had called her to tell that he hadn't come out yet and they thought a psychologist might be the best person to check on him.

She put her key in the ignition and started the car. She played the radio all the while driving to her home. It wasn't too far, about a 20-minute ride. Mouthing the lyrics and she turned the steering wheel, she felt her life had finally clicked into place. Everything was whole again. Once she got there, she placed her keys in her bag and rang the doorbell.

Her father greeted her with a loud shout, almost waking up the entire neighborhood. She shushed him quickly, entering to find her mother in the kitchen. She was washing dishes from dinner. Jazz greeted them both and tiptoed up the stairs. If he was asleep, she didn't want to wake him up.

She reached the top stair, trying to be as quiet as possible. She knocked on the door softly but heard no reply. She twisted the doorknob and propped the door open slightly. Through the slight sliver, she could only see the right side of the room, but no Danny.

Jazz widened the door a bit more and then slammed it shut with a loud bang.

_No… I must be imagining._

She exhaled a long breath and mustered up the courage to try again. Opening the door, she screamed. The blood drained from her face and she went pale. Her knees felt weak as though she would fall any second.

_Please no._

She ran up to him checking his chest for a pulse.

_I just got him back._

She hopped onto the bed to untie the rope around his neck. It wouldn't budge. The tears freely flowed as she ran down the stairs two at a time to grab a knife. She screamed nonsense for her parents to come and help.

_Why would he do this?_

She returned upstairs faster than her legs could carry her. Her heart was beating 50 miles per minute within her fragile chest. Her dinner threatened to be released from her stomach, but she pushed it down. She jumped back on the bed and sawed the thick rope through.

Maddie and Jack entered the room, and both shouted at the horrifying sight. They ran up to their son, already lost to the darkness. They caught him as Jazz finished cutting the rope and gently placed him onto the bed.

The purple marks circled his neck were evident as he lay limp on the starry comforter. Her parents sobbed, clutching their son's hand as though it would resurrect him. Jazz sat next to her little brother, stock still. The clump of sadness sat in her throat and made her unable to produce any sound.

Jazz didn't want it all to end like this.

Jazz thought this day was going to be good day.

Oh boy, was she wrong.

* * *

Sam clutched her husband shoulders, tears flowing onto his crisp black suit. He held an umbrella above their heads to prevent getting soaked by the everlasting rain. The ceremony was a large one, almost everyone in the town had come.

Everyone knew Daniel Fenton, although no one entirely knew him. _Except them._

Others in the crowd came to pay their respects to the closed coffin as Sam and Tucker stood off to the side. The Fenton couple stood close together on the opposite side, both huddled underneath a single umbrella. The Baxter family stood right next to them, Jazz hanging her head down and embracing her son.

Danny didn't need to do this. He had so much going for him.

There was no evidence as to why he committed suicide, other than being stuck in a mental institute for 10 years. Everyone believed he may have driven himself crazy.

_Did he ever show any symptoms? Could they have prevented all of this?_

Danny was only silent. What information could they gain from that?

Sam didn't want to think about it. Although she didn't know the man who died, they knew the teenager who they'd grown accustomed to. And to think he was gone…

_No…_

Tucker squeezed her hand in comfort as he wiped his tears with his other hand while Sam picked up the umbrella.

"Hey, mind if I interrupt?"

Everyone looked at up at the voice, but no one could recognize who it belonged to. A figure stood by a tree a few feet away from the coffin, back leaning against the thick trunk. He wore a red hoodie with black jeans and matching red converse, everything soaked through by the rain. The hood was propped over his head, so he was undistinguishable to the crowd.

The figure lifted his head towards Sam and she gasped. A blue gleam hidden inside the hood could barely be seen by anyone. He walked closer, now only a foot away from the about-to-be-buried coffin. He slowly lowered down his hood and the entire crowd went silent. There stood a smirking Daniel Fenton, exactly as he was before he died.

"Miss me?" he grinned as he raised his arms in a warm gesture. His posture was confident, and his demeanor was cocky.

"D-Danny… how?" Maddie stuttered out of the quiet and Danny replied with maniacal laughter.

"You didn't really think it was me, _did you?_ I'm not here to explain that though. I'm here to ask why _all of you_ didn't listen to me? This could have all been prevented if you had listened to what I said." he scanned the crowd, smirking at the terrified faces that glared back at him.

"What do you mean we didn't listen?" Jack blurted out loud. Danny's head jerked rapidly in the direction of his father at an awkward angle.

"What do you mean? WHAT DO YOU MEAN?" Danny's hands were furiously rubbing through his damp hair as his voice increased with anger. "Did you think it was just a coincidence that _Danny Phantom_ disappeared at the same time _Daniel Fenton_ was _gone_?"

"W-what are you trying to say Danny?" Maddie stuttered unable to comprehend.

"FOOLS. ALL OF YOU. You still don't understand when I've laid it all out for you. You're all oblivious…"

He began to float up in the air, his eyes crackling with red electricity. A flash of bright light sprung out from his chest and encircled his body. Suddenly, it burst, leaving a figure only 2 people recognized from long ago.

Dan Phantom levitated before the crowd. His aura radiated, giving his shape a green tint overall. His cape flew loosely behind him in the imaginary wind. His fiery hair floated aimlessly above his head as he held a smug expression across his face. Black and white hazmat suit clung to his muscular body displaying a familiar DP logo.

"Phantom?! Danny… you're Phantom?" Maddie shrieked over the silence of the crowd. Dan slowly levitated towards his mother, extending his arm out. His finger touched her face as she visibly flinched; he began tracing his finger down her cheek.

"Awe poor Maddie. You only figured it out now, but you're too late." He dropped his hand and swiveled towards Jazz, his fangs shining within his toothy smile. His feet crunched through the gravel of the ground, mud clinging onto his silver boots due to the rain.

"Jasmine, do you remember me?" his voice deep with admiration. Jazz clutched onto her son tighter, her eyebrows knitted with maternal care. She opened her mouth to speak, but he shushed her.

He strutted towards the gravestone, his hand slinking across the cold marble surface. All eyes were on him, unmoving and unblinking. "You know, Danny was gone a long time ago." He said staring at the words written on the gravestone. "He really did try his best."

"What do you mean ghost? You're not our son!" Jack's voice boomed throughout the gloomy scenery. Dan swiveled rapidly, his head cocked at an awkward angle.

"Oh but I am your son. I've been you're son all along. You just were too oblivious to understand." His burning red eyes scanned the crowd as some flinched at his glare. "I'm not phantom you know. Phantom's been long gone. I'm not Danny either. But the pain was just enough to bring me back."

He levitated up and perched himself on the gravestone. He straightened his back and raised his hands up, green fiery ectoplasm empowering him. "Call me Dan. And I'm about to make your life a living hell…"

His voice trailed off as he vanished, green smoke rising from the tombstone. A maniacal laughter enveloped the helpless citizens. A crumpled sheet of paper floated down from the bare tree, landing at Jazz's feet.

She picked it up and stared at it, recognizable handwriting scrawled throughout the paper.

If only they had listened.


End file.
